Crimson Justice
by Mushi-Mushi-Mushu
Summary: From Heaven, L learns that a new Kira is rising and decides to do something about it. The new Kira is a bit of a psycho and it seems that Ryuk has dropped his Notebook again in the post-Light chaos to see what effect it would have on this new world.
1. Chapter 1

******A/N:** Hey! Dlvvanzor here! Mushi is writing from L's POV, and I'm writing from Light's POV.

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**Disclaimer**: Dlvvanzor and I (Mushi-Mushi-Mushu) do not own Death Note.

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Summary: **In the year 2020, everything that was ever about Kira was long forgotten and had vanished. The crime rate increased year, after year, after year... everything had fallen apart with no one to fix the mess and the Authorities have became small groups of private investigators wishing for a big change. The crime rate has been at it's highest ever in history. People now live in fear and won't come out of their homes to see the sun shine, like they once did, a long time ago.

From Heaven, L learns that a new Kira is rising and decides to do something about it. The new Kira is a bit of a psycho and it seems that Ryuk has dropped his Notebook again in the post-Light chaos to see what effect it would have on this new world.

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**Crimson Justice**

By Mushi and Dlvvanzor

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**Chapter I**

_(L's POV)_

**Abroad Changes**

It's the smell of coal and mines in the breath of a little girl. She's dying; they just murdered her mother, right before her eyes, and got away with it. Now, she's the one destined to die, because of unrighteous justice and a knife. It took only one second to free a life into death, into the sanity of God. And yet children stumble within the boundaries of education and are kept safe from what is real. They- the teachers and the parents- try their best to set their kids in front of a beautiful, endless horizon, a hopeful future, a brave new world. The chaos seems unending as hungers rages and death tolls rise. Crime is an unforgivable sin.

The metallic taste of death, horrible. The sight you see right in front of you, before you die, will be your last. The last is not always the best, yet you go on into the afterlife: Heaven or Hell or maybe nothing at all. That last sight shows you that you were right from the start. He was guilty, but proven innocent or not.

After you die, you see yourself lying there motionless and helpless, as if your soul has been sucked completely out of your body. It's only a matter of time before you get dragged down to the Pit or rise up to the Light.

I stand, looking down on Earth, and know that the little girl will be joining us in Heaven, as many others have. Slowly into the gates of brightness and peace, she walks the clouds. As she comes through those golden gates, her mother waits, and gives her daughter a warm embrace. It's so pure and yet Hell is only a few feet away.

The world's three greatest detectives is here, witnessing all that is pure and all that is evil. I am L, or so I was. Now, I'm among the many people that come up to be rewarded with peace.

But I'm not fully satisfied. The world is rotten. Hopeless, or nearly so. And I know, deep in my heart, that I could change it. Instead of now, as an invisible observer. I could change it being alive.

I could have stopped Kira, also known as my first ever friend, Light Yagami. Unfortunately, instead of beating him, I had died in his arms. I knew from the very start: Light Yagami was Kira. Even without proof, I knew somewhere in my gut that it was him, and nothing but definitive evidence was ever going to convince me otherwise. Light met his fate soon after I met mine. He was exposed by my successor, Near. Then Light ran for it and died on dirty warehouse stairs. I know, because I was there, watching. I had won and Near was the new face of L. There really wasn't anyone better for the job.

Except I haven't seen him now in a very, very long time. "L's" sudden disappearance and the sudden loss of Justice is going to bring an end to this world. But maybe it would be for the best...? No, I can't think like that. It can't be.

I step beyond the Gates and wander around on the never-ending sea of clouds, wishing a lollipop into my hands. Heaven certainly was... Heavenly.

I head down to Earth, seeing the factory-lined streets and the cold, grey clouds growing. I'm in the air floating down to see my grave, like a ghost. I arrive like a feather as I stand to see the place where my now useless body decomposes. My coffin is just under the dirt, in layers of rock and soil.

"I had to go, didn't I," I say to myself. It's half a question and half a statement.

It's a strange thing, not to feel the cool ground under my feet. When you're dead and a semi-angel you can't feel anything. Nothing.

I look up at the sky and notice raindrops are falling. How does it rain? Scientific explanation aside, I wonder if it could really be God crying. I believe not. I had met him, and that didn't seem like something he would do

"What's wrong... Ryuzaki?" I hear a voice from a distance. As I look around, I see a dark figure approaching me. "How's it going?" I know this voice instantly. I know the calm yet mocking tone in a moment. I know it is him.

"Light-kun," I say heavily, staring at the shadow. The haze clears and the being that had once been the young man I knew was there, smiling.

"I've been looking everywhere for you," he says.

"What are you doing here?" I ask. Shouldn't he be in Hell or the abyss of Nothing?

"No reason," he says still smiling. Is he still alive or am I hallucinating?

"I see," I say monotonously. I'm have many ideas as to why Light might be here, and none of them are good.

"I suppose you know by now that I really_ was _Kira," he says, his smile fading away to the blank look he had learned from me.

"I knew from the beginning."

"Interesting. So do you wish that I were alive?" I glare once again. "You've seen what this place has become. Do you wish that Justice was back to the world? I could have done it, you know. I could have gotten rid of all evil, with a little more time."

"No, Light," I say tiredly. It felt like we had had this argument a thousand times. "You were the one that was truly evil. To this day you are a murderer." I listen to the rain fall before I keep going. "A foul, evil murderer, who does not know real Justice. Your actions were just a mind game. You made yourself believe you were a godly force that could save the world with cruel judgment, but in reality you were just like any other criminal- waiting to get caught and to be sentenced to death."

"Sentenced to death? Me? No. I'm still alive in the memories of good and honest people who wished for protection in their everyday lives. I am God to this day! I'm no criminal. You gambled your life trying to catch me, you lost, and now you are here, maybe as an angel, but to me you are a dead loser," he spits out. Ah, so this is Kira's true colors.

"You're mistaken," I reply calmly. "I never lost. I lost my life, but I never truly lost. Like I said: I had won from the beginning. So I am not a dead loser, I am just dead." I smirk a little. "May I ask, what are you?"

"I am something beyond your imagination," he chuckles, and it grows into a laugh.

"That still doesn't answer my question," I point out as if he were dim.

"I'm a demon," he says delightedly.

"A demon," I repeat.

"No," he snaps. "Sometimes I can be much more than that."

I turn around to walk away from him. Then I suddenly hear wings flapping. I look up into the sky to see Light with thin angel wings, flying and landing on a grave, sitting on the headstone. I walk toward him. "An angel of death, perhaps?"

"Possibly more of a demon, but maybe a god of death. That sounds better," Light says. I reach the grave and read 'Yagami Light.' Then I look up at Light sitting on his own grave.

"Maybe it does, Shinigami," I say.

"Hm," he hums. Then, "I hope you're happy, knowing that I still exist." He is grinning.

"Perhaps, my good friend," I say sarcastically. "But right now, I wish to go back to Heaven."

"Do as you please. But I know we'll meet again soon," he says, smirking.

"Let us hope so," I say, and float back up and rise once more into the clouds.

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_(Beta Reader for this chapter: Dlvvanzor)_

_____(Author of this chapter: Mushi-Mushi-Mushu)_

**Thanks a bunch, Dlvvanzor-san!**

**-Mushi**


	2. Chapter 2

**Crimson Justice**

by Mushi and Dlvvanzor

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**Disclaimer**: We do not own Death Note.

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**Chapter II**

_(L's POV)_

**Undeniable**

It's too much to ask for what you want, even if it seems close. You find yourself in mysterious places longing for an answer. You wander along the sidewalks and find nothing of use and your mind runs wild. In this case, I have nothing to long for anymore. However, I wish to be brought back to what used to be life.

It's no wonder. I've encountered the one person I couldn't imagine meeting again. The pieces are in place once again and my suspicion keeps getting greater. The only conclusion that comes across my mind is the possibility of that deadly book, the Death Note, being used once again in the hands of someone evil. Someone who could then rise as the new Kira.

I see the clouds above me. I've returned to Heaven and go through them into a steady, lonely cloud. I sit the way I would always do: bent knees up to my chest, back hunched over, my eyes looking straight ahead, and my mind thinking about endless possibilities. I hear my name being called. I turn to look behind me and I see Watari waving his hand kindly.

"Hello, Watari," I call out.

"L, I'm glad you're back," he replies.

I don't feel very glad about it. "I'm a bit hungry."

"Really? But you've never been hungry since we got here thirteen years ago. Why now?"

"I feel empty and unfulfilled. It's killing me," I say roughly.

"I understand that, but we're here to rest and not to worry." Watari comes and stands next to me while I sit down on the cloud. I see the sun setting over the clouds with Watari, and speak of nothing further. It becomes dark and Watari has left to sleep to leave me to my thoughts. As for me, I don't sleep. I stay awake and look at the stars.

"One, two, three, four..." I count the stars for lack of anything better to do. I lose count and start over. I feel someone watching me. I look around and see nothing. I resume my current activity.

"Hello." It's a voice, very feminine too. I look around and see someone the minute I look in front of me. It's a woman, and she's sitting across from me.

"Who are you?" I ask, startled.

"I'm nothing that concerns you," she replies. "I am what's left of the Summons. We, or I, deliver messages to current spirits in Heaven. I've heard that you wish to return to your state of life. Would this be true?" She seems to be asking a question, then she chuckles. "Of course it is."

"Yes, you are correct," I reply, looking at the stars again.

"God has sent me here to make you an offer concerning your wish to return to Earth," she says, "With one exception."

"What would the exception be?" I ask.

"You would have to find your heart and actually care for another." She smirks. "Though, seeing your past, you have no sense of that sentimental, caring side, now do you? Which could make things rather difficult, don't you agree?"

I don't answer. Seeming that most of that statement is true, I have to accept the facts as they are given. I never really, truly cared for anyone in my life.

"I thought so," she says. "There's always another catch, too. Before taking action, you must scout out the existence of a dark being." And that being obviously must be Light. "Also, discover the identity of the current human taking action as the new Killer." A new Kira...

"I know you found the dark being. Now it's up to you to search for the new Killer," she says.

"I would have to be alive," I remind her.

"Yes, you would have to be alive to do anything to make even the slightest progress. That's why _you_ were considered. Remember, though; your victory is not guaranteed. Now to recap the two tasks: First, find your caring side. Second, find the new Killer. On behalf of God, have I made myself clear?" I nod. "L Lawliet, do you accept or decline this offer?"

"I accept," I say.

"Do you have any questions?"

"Why would you give me this chance to come back to life?"

"You should know; you were one of the greatest minds. You were a good person, that's why. And _He_ believes there might be a change in destiny if you win. Of course, if you fail there is a good chance you won't return back here to Heaven." That makes me wonder.

"When would all this begin?" I ask, not hesitating.

"As soon as you give up half your heart. God will keep it while you are away," she says. "Basically, you have to give up half your soul in order to find the other half, to go down there." She points down. By all means, I don't care what I have to give up, I want to return and make a change and bring that new horizon, rising.

"Would it be possible to go now?" I ask quietly. I wonder if Watari will worry, but the prospect does not stop me.

"Yes, but I warn you. You may have trouble breathing once you get down there. You'll be under the dirt and you'll have to dig yourself out. Don't worry about your dead and rusty old corpse, though, it's new and ready to go," she says. "So now would it be nice to go? Are you ready?"

"I'm more than ready, but would Watari know? If I'm gone?" I ask.

She stands and smiles. "He'll know, don't worry. Now get ready to give it up." I stand and wait for whatever it is she is going to do.

I can't really feel anything at this point. I don't know what just hit me or stabbed me, but I close my eyes and shut them tight. I open me eyes wide as I feel a spear go through my heart. Under the moonlight I see blood dripping. I smell it too... it's like dying again. I can taste the metallic tang, I can smell the cold iron, and I feel the pain in my heart. I get to speak again.

"What is your name?" I say, struggling.

"It's of no importance. You may never see me again," she says, pulling the sword-like spear out of my chest. "But as for your knowledge of the world... many things have changed. It's best you know them before things get out of hand."

I close my eyes. "That is good to know. Goodbye."

I'm falling, I can tell. It's all a rush yet I can't feel my heart. I fall into the darkness and don't see the clouds above me anymore. I'm changing. This isn't reincarnation or mad science.

This is a second chance to prove that Justice will always prevail.

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_(Beta Reader for this chapter: Dlvvanzor)_

_____(Author of this chapter: Mushi-Mushi-Mushu)_


	3. Chapter 3

**Crimson Justice**

by Mushi and Dlvvanzor

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**Disclaimer**: We don't own Death Note.

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**Chapter III**

_(Light's POV)_

**Hell**

Turns out, the shinigami had this "there's no afterlife" thing dead wrong.

There is an afterlife, all right. And I'm stuck with an eternity and a facefull of Hell.

This, I think as the demon assigned personally to the overseeing of my eternal damnation cuts into my flesh with some kind of special knife, is entirely unfair. I was _told_ there was Nothingness after death. _And_I'm here because of the whole Kira deal, which I still consider to be good.

Because Lucifer was originally an angel from Heaven before he fell, it is ingrained in his systems that _the Sabbath is the day of rest_ and, try as he might, he can't break the habit of honoring that. It is almost the sundown to the Sabbath in the human world, and then, for a full twenty-four hours, until the sunset after that, all the tortured souls- including me- will be released from our bonds, free from torture for a full day. Most use this to connect with each other, to commiserate. I prefer to use this time to watch Earth.

As my demon slides his steaming hot blade under my fingernails and twists, laughing, I scream and wonder how Earth has changed in the last week, since the last time I checked. I still care. I wish I didn't, but I do. Since Kira disappeared (went to Hell, thank you very much), the world has gone into even more chaos than it started out with, when Kira began to take action.

And I know I could fix it, if I could just get back there somehow. Give me a Death Note, and I'll give you a new world. It didn't even have to be a Death Note. Just _something_.

Especially now since that bastard Near has vanished. There would be no one to stop me.

I don't know what happened to him, but I hope he's dead. Now that I know his real name, if I ever came back to life and got a Death Note, I would write his name in a second. At least the Mello kid had the good grace to die like I wanted him to. Honestly, where did Near get off surviving me?

Anyway, Near is the only one who is alive right now that would be able to stop me. I mean, if I could get back down there.

The demon stabs me a few times in the heart. He keeps a special focus on that particular organ, since this is punishment for what I did as Kira. It doesn't hurt as much as it should, as much as it usually does. That's how I know the sun has set on Earth.

The demon sighs and removes my ties with a motion of his hand, and I'm free.

Well, as free as you ever get in _Hell, _but that's entirely beside the point.

I push through the swarming crowds of shuddering, weeping, temporarily released, tortured souls. I'm not popular in this place, seeing as I put many of them down here, but they know I'm getting what I deserve, and no one messes with me on the Sabbath. It's an unspoken rule in Hell. No one screws with each other because we already have the demons doing it. If you have a beef with someone, you just wait twenty-four hours for them to be just as miserable as you. Possibly more, depending on the gravity of your sins.

Needless to say, by Hell's standards, I'm quite a bastard, and I'm in the lowest level with some of the worst men and women in history.

Now I'm finally, finally at the portal where I can gaze at the world I left behind, and it's as beautiful as I remember. Maybe it's strange for Kira to think the world is beautiful, but I love it. I always _have_ loved it. If I didn't love the place I was fighting for, why would I have fought so hard for it? Sure, the megalomania was a huge reason, too, but it had to _start_ from something genuine. Something pure. All the best efforts of man _start_ with good intentions.

But you know what they say about good intentions. Clearly, this is a lot truer than anyone gave the phrase credit for.

"Light Yagami."

The voice is cold and familiar, and I immediately get to my hands and knees, ducking my head. It's Alprezier, Satan's right-hand man, and the only demon I know of that is possibly crueler than him. The devil made him, then realized what he'd done and decided he sure as hell wasn't going to make that mistake again. It doesn't matter who you are. Unless you're an angel, God, or Satan himself, you pay your respects to Alprezier. Even Kira. "Sir."

"You may stand."

That probably isn't a good thing, but I'm not stupid enough to disobey him, so I scramble to my feet, my head still at a respectful angle, eyes to the floor.

"Look at me. We will talk."

I look at him. Silent.

"Light Yagami, I'm here to make a deal with you."

I almost snort, but realize that that would be instant obliteration and say nothing.

He smiles, probably knowing exactly what is going through my head. Part of me wishes that he didn't have to appear as such an attractive man. It's always distracting and unnerving. Probably hearing that, too, he continues, "You see, you were our best. You gave Hitler a run for his money. And, as you can see, with you absent, the world is falling into chaos."

I'm not entirely sure how those two statements are related, or at least relevant to the current situation. I would think that Hell would _want_ the world to be in chaos.

"We do," he says. Well, he answered my other unspoken questions as to whether or not he can read my mind. "The world is in chaos now, which is great, but it is also attracting the attention of someone who will try to change it."

"L," I mumble.

"Precisely." Alprezier sneers and another shiver runs down my spine, making my abused, metaphysical nerves tingle. "Even now, he is visiting his grave and wishing he could come back. As a _human_." He doesn't wait for me to speak. "He hasn't been made the offer yet, but he'll accept it when he hears it. We can't stop him from becoming human, but we know what the conditions will be. He will have to find the new person acting as Kira. He will also have to," he laughed, "fall in love."

My mouth drops open and I laugh for the first time since going to Hell. I don't doubt for a second that L can find the new Kira, but... fall in love? That cold, emotionless prick?

"My thoughts exactly," Alprezier says. "Only Heaven would make such an ultimatum. The thing is, we do not want L stopping the new Kira. Not unless there is a... better option." He gives me a meaningful look. "Like, perhaps, you."

"What is the deal?" I ask.

"We can't make you live again, only God can do that, but... we can send you back there. As a demon. L has transcended things such as sexual orientation, and you and he were already friends on Earth... it should not be hard for you to make him fall in love with you." He pauses, looking at me, probably wondering why I've just blocked my thoughts off from him. "From there, you could easily manipulate him into helping you, taking your side. Perhaps you could come to him under the premise of having repented. We don't care how you do it: get the Death Note before he does or get him to join you, but don't let him destroy or keep the Notebook. And, once you have it, resume your actions as Kira. Except this time, we want you to kill the innocents."

Too much information all at once, and I'm suddenly glad I blocked off my thoughts a minute ago. Killing innocents? Making L fall in l-love with me?

"Eventually, this will lead to the majority of the world being evil, when innocent people are forced to commit crimes just to keep from being killed."

"And what do I get if I do it?"

"Why, _everything_," Alprezier says mockingly. "You get to be an immortal demon. Demons aren't tortured in Hell, we _do_ the torturing. You get power in the human world. You'll probably end up ruling it. You get a physical form that looks just like your old one." He pauses and smirks, raising one perfect eyebrow. "And you get the love of your life, if you can convince him to take your side in the matter. Hell, if he joins you, we'll even make him a demon when he comes down here."

So explain to me how the demons know that I was in love with L on Earth? I mean, it was entirely unrequited, I think, but that didn't change the fact that I was in love with him. I've never mentioned that to anyone. Anyone. I haven't even _thought_ it too loudly. So how does _Alprezier_ know?

The deal sounds kind of... good. Minus the killing of innocents and the dragging of L to Hell with me. But, I'm already in Hell. Killing innocents really doesn't matter at this point. And as a demon, Hell isn't half bad. It would be L's choice, after all. I could tell him the whole story once I made him fall for me.

And I'd much, _much_ rather be a demon than a Wretched Soul, which was my official title in the lower rings.

"Why aren't _you_ doing this?" I ask suspiciously. "Or... _him_?" We are forbidden to say Lucifer's name aloud.

"Simple," Alprezier responds. "I don't want to leave."

I blink. The thought that someone_ wouldn't want _to get out of Hell has never occurred to me. "I'll do it."

Like a demonic Cheshire cat, Alprezier's grin is the last thing I see as my world fades to black.

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(Author of this chapter: Dlvvanzor)_


	4. Chapter 4

**Crimson Justice**

by Mushi and Dlvvanzor

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**Disclaimer**: We still don't own Death Note.

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**Chapter IV**

_(Light's POV)_

**Encounter **

When I open my eyes, I see that I'm in a graveyard. I can feel the cool night wind on my face, ruffling my hair. I haven't felt 'coolness' in what feels like an eternity. Hell is really a very warm place, and smells like brimstone just as you'd expect. I can feel the sandy cemetery dirt through my shoes, and am startled to see that I _have_ shoes, and feet, and legs, and a body, and arms, and hands. They look incredibly familiar. They're... mine! Just like he said!

...Ouch! OUCH! What the hell?! Why does my torso hurt so much?! What's going on?! And my head... Ow... I open my mouth to complain or scream and air rushes into me. The pain immediately goes away. Right. Breathing. You don't have to breathe in Hell.

My heart flips over in my chest and that's how I know that Ryuzaki must be here. I whip around and see him standing at his grave, the same grave I had laughed hysterically at years and years ago. Hysterical, because I was going to rule the world now that he was dead. Hysterical, because I had just killed and buried the one I loved.

He hasn't seen me yet, so I take a minute to compose myself. We haven't seen each other in many years, so I want to be in control of myself when I see his eyes and hear his voice. His voice and eyes have always done something to me, and right now, I'd probably burst into tears if I wasn't ready.

I watch him from afar, reacquainting myself with all the little things about him that I love. I have forgotten so many of them. Like the way he moves, the way he stares. I can tell by his shoulders that he's sad, and it's like a knife in my chest. And trust me; I know what it feels like to have a knife in your chest.

"What's wrong... Ryuzaki?" I call out. His name tastes amazing in my mouth after so long. I try to say it gently, but I haven't used a voice in decades and I don't remember how to do it. It probably comes out harshly, and he looks around, laying those big, dark eyes on me and freezing me to the spot. I wonder if he knows what kind of affect he has on me. What kind of affect he has _always_ had on me. "How's it going?" Is that was people say? I don't remember anymore.

"Light-kun," he acknowledges immediately, staring at me. I can't help but smile, even though the look in his eyes is anything but welcoming.

"I've been looking everywhere for you," I tell him. That's technically the truth. For the first few years after I died, I spent every Sabbath trying to find a way to see him, wherever he was. Eventually someone told me that he must be in Heaven (whispering the word Heaven, which is a cuss word in Hell for obvious reasons) and that I'd never be able to see him there. I'd ultimately given up. It's so hard to remember how to communicate. I try to stare my meaning into him, but he doesn't seem to receive the message.

"What are you doing here?"

Um, wow. Good to see you, too. But I keep the smile on my face in the interest of how I'm going to eventually make him feel about me. Anyway, the truth is too long to explain, and I don't want him to know my whole plan, yet. Right now, he wouldn't be able to accept what later he'll happily agree to: to join me, rule the world as a god for a long time, and then retire to Hell and torture souls for eternity. Together. So I say the first lie that comes to my mind, "No reason." Not my most inventive lie ever.

"I see," he says.

As a show of good faith, I say, "I suppose you know by now that I really_ was _Kira." I remove the smile from my face to try to look remorseful, but again I just _don't remember how to do this! _I've been screaming in the Pit for too long. I don't remember how to lie, how to act. There's no acting in Hell. You just lay there, get tortured, and scream.

"I knew from the beginning."

Yeah, he's definitely not buying it. I still try to remain polite. "Interesting," I say. "So do you wish that I were alive?" He gives me a glare that could freeze mercury. Apparently not. "You've seen what this place has become. Do you wish that Justice was back to the world? I could have done it, you know. I could have gotten rid of all evil, with a little more time."

"No, Light," he says in a long-suffering kind of way. He sounds as if he is talking to a child that simply will not cooperate and has to have the same thing explained to it over and over again. It pisses me off. "You were the one that was truly evil. To this day you are a murderer." He pauses, and we both listen to the gentle rain that I'm only just now noticing. It's chilly and I'm getting wet, but he doesn't seem cold. He must not yet have made the deal that Alprezier said he will soon make. He adds, almost as an afterthought, "A foul, evil murderer, who does not know real Justice. Your actions were just a mind game. You made yourself believe you were a godly force that could save the world with cruel judgment, but in reality you were just like any other criminal- waiting to get caught and to be sentenced to death."

This man pisses me off like no other. He always has. Maybe that's why I like him so much- he's the only one who has ever been able to get a reaction out of me. The only one who has ever been able to shatter my self-control. "Sentenced to death?" I spit. "Me? No. I'm still alive in the memories of good and honest people who wished for protection in their everyday lives. I am God to this day! I'm no criminal." How can I convince him? He simply won't listen. He won't let go of his own, personal perspective of Justice for long enough to listen to mine. What I did before? That wasn't evil. That was good, by the very definition of the word. What I'm _about_ to do? _That_ is evil. Killing innocents for no reason other than to make my own life (or, existence) more pleasant. "You gambled your life trying to catch me, you lost, and now you are here, maybe as an angel, but to me you are a dead loser." He refuses to _see_.

"You're mistaken," he replies. "I never lost. I lost my life, but I never truly lost. Like I said: I had won from the beginning. So I am not a dead loser, I am just dead." He smirks, and if I weren't so mad I would have probably laughed at his turn of phrase. "May I ask," he says suddenly, intellectually, "what are you?"

For some reason I laugh, even though there's absolutely nothing funny about Hell and demons and Satan. "I am something beyond your imagination."

He speaks again as if I am a child. "That still doesn't answer my question." Damn it, that's the voice he always used to use on Matsuda.

"I'm a demon."

"A demon." He raises an invisible eyebrow.

"_No_," I snap. He makes it sound like such a bad thing. Clearly he's never been to Hell and been a Wretched Soul before. _He'd _want to be a demon too, in my situation. It's something he would never understand, having been in _Heaven. _"Sometimes I can be much more than that."

He's turning around to walk away from me and I'm struck with a terrible panic. I don't want him to go. I may never see him again, if he goes. Goes back to Heaven, the place I'll never see. The place that gets _him_.

In my anxiety, I almost don't notice that I'm suddenly in the air, _flying_. Startled, I look around and see that I have wings. I didn't see that one coming and, scared because I don't know how to control them, I land on the nearest grave, sitting on the headstone and clinging to it with the backs of my knees.

L comes back. "An angel of death, perhaps?"

What? No, I'm definitely not an angel. Did I not just tell him that I'm a demon? "Possibly more of a demon, but maybe a god of death." It was true. I was sent back here, not to be a god of Justice like before, but to this time, truly be a god of Death. A god of Chaos. But he wasn't ready for that. "That sounds better."

"Maybe it does, Shinigami."

The hatred in his voice hurts terribly. Even when he was sure I was Kira, in life, he looked and spoke to me more gently than that. He treated me like a friend. But now, when I've been in Hell, been alone,_tortured_, for as long as he's been in bliss, when I most need a soft tone and touch, particularly from _him_, I get a slap in the face. That hurts. It really does. I force a grin. Maybe it's convincing. He would have been able to see through it_ before. _When we were handcuffed, he learned to read every tiny expression I made, as I learned to read _his_. "I hope you're happy, knowing that I still exist." I try not to sound too hopeful.

"Perhaps, my good friend," he says, voice dripping with sarcasm. "But right now, I wish to go back to Heaven."

How can he be so mad at me for killing him when the result was that he gets to go to the most incredible place in existence? And why, _why_ is he going to take the deal when it's offered, to come back _here_, to save this terrible, rotten place? He has _Heaven_. Why the Hell would he choose Earth?

Or... Hell.

All at once, I realize how hopeless my plan is. L is not stupid. He's never going to fall in love with me, help me track down the Death Note, kill the current user, kill innocents until the world is in chaos, rule it until it ends, and then come to Hell with me. Who in their right mind would do that when they already had a ticket to Heaven?

"Do as you please. But I know we'll meet again soon," I say, still trying to smile.

"Let us hope so," he growls, and then he's gone, and I'm alone.

_____

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(Author of this chapter: Dlvvanzor)_


	5. Chapter 5

**Crimson Justice**

by Mushi and Dlvvanzor

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**Disclaimer: **We don't own Death Note

**

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Chapter V**

_(L's POV)_

**Head Stones**

As my thoughts of coming back to the world race in my head, I hear my heartbeat; I hear it pounding in my ears. It's music, playing to sooth some kind of pain. I don't know where I am exactly, I haven't bothered opening my eyes yet, then I realize I'm running out of air. I react and pound the top of the coffin as hard as I can, with all my might. Then I break free. I dig through the dirt trying to get my first gasps for air.

I succeed and rise from the grave, enjoying the cool air that I can finally breathe. I'm lying on the ground. There's snow falling and it's on my face. With each snow flake that falls, I get a sense of a new life. I hear bells, ringing from a distance... I finally wake from the daze and blink of what now will be my life. I'm not under the dirt or above the clouds, I'm between the senses of what is real and what is fake. No more will I have the feeling of incompleteness. I feel alive, more than ever. I stand, stumbling, to feel the ground- the cold, snowy, ground- underneath my bare toes.

I don't know what may come next, but I better start moving if I don't want to freeze to death. I make way through the snow, holding myself in an effort to keep warm. Running is acceptable if you have a good reason, so I start to run out of the graveyard and into the well-paved streets. The gates of this graveyard remind me of the gates of Heaven. Now, where was I going?

It's likely that the NPA is still around, so there.

I keep running, not knowing if I'm going the right direction or not. I'm tired. There are no pedestrians around at all but at the moment I really don't care. There are a few cars passing and I'm beyond frozen. There's no warmth left in me. I can't feel my feet or my fingers. The wind is gusting, pushing me. I'm not going to make it. Dying just as I'm resurrected.

I look to my right, at the street, and see a police car cruising by. I smile and run in front of it to get its attention. The headlights are bright and the police driver screeches the car to a halt, jumping out. I squint and the policeman says, "Hello? Are you all right sir?" I recognize his voice. _Matsuda_?!

As I shiver, I say, strongly as I can, "Are you Matsuda Touta?"

"Yes, sir! Do you need help!?" I get a clearer picture of him as he approaches me. I see his jaw drop and he exclaims, "Ryuzaki!?"

"Matsuda, please. Take me to the NPA." He nods, wide-eyed, and gets into the car. I open the door and get into the back seat, hugging my knees for warmth and stability. I lie down, wet, and rejoice that the car is very warm and comfortable. I close my eyes and take time to think. I hear Matsuda talking over the phone, actually whispering.

"It's unbelievable, Aizawa. Ryuzaki is actually here, in the backseat of the vehicle... No I'm not messing with you!.... Seriously!.... Now why would I be lying to y-... I'm not... I understand, but... Ugh!... Fine, but I will prove you wrong Aizawa.... No! He's _alive_..."

Matsuda hangs up the phone and soon he stops the car.

"Ahem, we're here, sir," he says nervously as he gets out the car. He opens the backseat door for me. I get out and walk to the doors of the big building. The National Police Agency. Matsuda is behind me as we arrive at the entrance; he comes in front of me and unlocks the door with a code. I walk through the doors as they open, looking at the lights on the ceiling. Straight ahead of us lies a long, black rectangular cube with elongated windows. Inside the windows there are people. I squint to get a better look and see Aizawa and Mogi.

Just as with Matsuda, their jaws fall to the floor. Matsuda cheers, even though he's now old.

"Ha! I told you!" he says. Aizawa and Mogi get out through a side door and walk as quickly as they can, which is slowly.

"Hello Kanzo Mogi, Shuichi Aizawa, and Touta Matsuda. I am L, the world's three greatest detectives. As you knew me. Alive and in the flesh. Mysterious forces have brought me here, and I suggest that you recover from your state of shock or we will never get anything done. As of now, I am now here to discover some truths... related to the new Kira."

"Kira?" Matsuda asks.

"No, a _new_ Kira. The evidence is in the state of the world. I presume there's a war taking place and that the crime rate is off the charts? Kira- this _new_ Kira- may regain his lethal weapon and strike again. If this happens, he will wipe out half the population. Let me assure you, I will find Kira. Even if it kills me. Again." I look at all of them. "I need your assistance."

"Are you an angel, L?"

I feel the need to slap Matsuda, but I refrain. "Sure. But from now on, address me as you used to."

"How are we supposed to help you? When there's nothing the police can do," asks Aizawa.

"What do you mean?" I place a thumb on my lips. It is good to have a physical form again.

"Crime is legal, now, if not caught," Aizawa mumbles.

Crime is legal?

"Could this be a way to bring Kira back? The law may be implying 'if not caught _by Kira_.' This may also mean that, if crime increases, the new Kira may take his throne back to Light's levels. He will have the world at his hands, but never at peace. If Kira does return, the fact that the entire world is full of criminals will be... unfortunate."

"I never thought of it like that before," says Matsuda, scratching the back of his head.

"Ryuzaki may be right. So... um... why did you return?" Mogi asks me directly.

"I did not wish to see the innocent die anymore by such foul play. And, if Kira returns, he will just increase that foulness by being the mass murderer of the century once again." I smile. "That, and it's very boring up in Heaven. There's nothing much to do."

They stare at me, and I just continue to smile.

"By the way, Mogi, do you still have the strawberry I gave you?"

"Er, no. I'm sorry?" Mogi responds, confused.

"Excellent," I say brightly. "Any news portraying Deneuve and Eraldo Coil?"

"No? Why are you saying such things Ryuzaki?" Matsuda asks.

"No reason in particular," I say. "And there's no news from my successor either, right?"

"Correct," Mogi answers.

"Is there anything else I need to know?" I ask looking around at the men.

"No," Matsuda replies.

"Then, we should proceed to take action by getting some information in recent deaths related to criminals," I say.

"Would Sakura TV help?" Mogi asks. I give a quick nod as I follow Mogi to the black room they came out from earlier, I follow Mogi into the door and see TVs, monitors, laptops and state of the art technology around. Mogi puts the channel number of Sakura TV into a touch screen pad. As soon as that is done, we are watching Sakura TV live. Matsuda and Aizawa join in.

News Anchor: "... Good Evening. I am Asako Tori, brining you today's news directly from Sakura TV. To start tonight of, we have the latest news relating the mass discussion of the International Criminal Police Organization and the crime rate proceeding to grow each day around the world. The ICPO has conducted a formation which could bring the crime rate down, but have no knowledge of at this point. And news related to the famous detective L, to the situation is unfortunate. 'L' is no where to be found or can be contacted. The ICPO agreed to take troops from the United States to different parts of the world, as a help to decrease crime and to put an end with wars amongst countries. Now, on to weather; it's snowing-snowing-snowing out there folks, but I assure by tomorrow everything will be clearer and brighter."

"Well, there's some good news," says Matsuda trying to lighten up the mood. I say nothing, for there might not ever be a Kira. The sound of the TV keeps going for ten minutes until...

News Anchor: "... Breaking news! Convicted sex offender, Yoshimitsu Suzkuki, age twenty-six, has died of a heart attack! I repeat a heart attack! In his cell, his jail mate noticed odd behavior as Suzuki struggled breathing and suddenly collapsed. The jail guards diagnosed this incident as a heart attack."

"A heart attack! Could this mean..." Matsuda pauses, and stares at the screen.

"We can't be too sure, but there are endless possibilities."

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_(Author if this chapter: Mushi-Mushi-Mushu)_

_(Beta-Reader: Dlvvanzor)_


	6. Chapter 6

**Crimson Justice**

by Mushi and Dlvvanzor

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**Disclaimer**: We don't own Death Note.

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**Chapter VI**

_Light's POV_

**Thoughts**_  
_

His rejection stings, and I pick a direction and walk in it.

L doesn't want me. I mean, _truly_ doesn't want me. I'm just a criminal to him, and worse, his murderer. I always thought he would be able to accept it when I killed him, but apparently I was wrong. I never knew he was that particularly fond of his life; he never once showed it.

And now I had to find him. Even if it was impossible to convince him to take my side, I wanted to be near him. Even if he didn't know I was there and I couldn't talk to him ever again.

Maybe I could be invisible. On impulse, I take a deep breath and hold it. I glance at the building I am walking pass, and I have no reflection. Yes! I exhale in my excitement and my reflection returns. Lovely, I can only be invisible as long as I'm able to go without breathing. That could cause a problem someday.

I walk aimlessly for hours, too emotionally exhausted and scared to try flying again.

It's amazing how much I already miss him. It had barely been five hours since he walked away, and already I feel an ache in my manifestation that I remember from when I killed him. More than the guilt, I had just _missed_ the man. In fact, I hadn't even known I loved him until after he was dead. The fact that I never managed to get over it was my biggest clue. You can only cry yourself to sleep so many times before you make some connections.

I suddenly remember that one of the places I watched from Hell was the new Investigation building. If I knew L, which I did, he would try to find it. But he doesn't know where the new location is, so he would have to wander around for a while until he stumbled upon it.

Maybe if I find him and lead him to the new headquarters, he'd like me?

Whether it will make him suddenly fall madly in love with me or not, I want to do it. If it means getting another chance to look at those genius eyes of his- and to see those eyes looking back- I'll do anything.

That's what L has never realized: that despite the fact that I killed him, I love him. I adore him and everything that he is. I'd do anything for him, including giving up the Notebook, giving up Kira, giving up my life. I'd go to Hell for him, which is quite a statement because I've actually _been _there.

And now if I can just find him wherever he is in the hugely-populated country of Japan (although he could be anywhere in the world...), I will tell him. This time around, I will tell him.

I spin around on my heels and head for the new Investigation building.

_____

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(Author of this chapter: Dlvvanzor)_


	7. Chapter 7

**Crimson Justice**

by Mushi and Dlvvanzor

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**Disclaimer**: We don't own Death Note.

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**Chapter VII**

_L's POV_

**Light**

It's late. Too late, in fact. I've been watching live broadcasts for the past few hours, waiting for something to be pointed out or to actually stand out. As far as I'm concerned, this new Kira is real. No doubt. Already, over a hundred heart attacks this one day, and all the victims criminals. How can it not be? Kira is now better than ever and I'm in for the war.

Kira's killings are scattered around the world. The first few killings began somewhere in Canada earlier today, then in Europe, and it all led to Japan, and stuck around. This could actually be a big lead... for now I'm done. I mute the TV and notice Matsuda on the ground- passed out or asleep, I didn't really care- and resumed looking up at the screen.

And for a split second, I thought of Light. I shook the thought off, but it kept coming to me. I let that go and drifted into slumber.

I wake up, and feel a slight shiver go down my spine. I noticed the time. Eight o'clock. Not that late, I suppose. It's morning. My first morning 'alive.'

I stand up and find myself alone. I step out of the room to find Matsuda arguing with Aizawa.

"I don't want to be a delivery boy," Matsuda complains.

"Just go," Aizawa says. "You want him to starve to death?"

"Er... no, I'll go," Matsuda gives in and walks outside to the semi-bright day. I look at Aizawa holding a few papers.

"Good morning, Ryuzaki," he tells me.

"Good morning," I respond.

"Look at this." Aizawa hands me a piece a paper. I examine it and find a slight decrease in crime.

"This is good," I tell Aizawa. After that Mogi suddenly appears through the front door carrying a big white box.

"I got it," Mogi says behind the big box.

"Great!" Aizawa says, running to Mogi. "Let me help you with that."

"Thank you, Aizawa." Mogi places the box down with Aizawa's help. "This is for you, Ryuzaki."

"For me?" I ask, walking up to the box. Mogi opens the box and inside there's a new laptop, a small microphone, speakers, and many more electronics.

"Well, if 'L' is coming back, then we might as well be sure no one knows who you are," Mogi says.

"Thank you, Mogi."

"You're welcome. But here's the bad news."

"What is it?"

"We're gonna set this all up at Matsuda's place, for now," Mogi says. "If the other task members find out about all this then..." he trails off and I nod in agreement, but I'm not very satisfied I end up at Matsuda's home.

"Set up as soon as possible," I say. Mogi and Aizawa nod. We stand there looking over the supplies to see if everything is in order and running well. It is no less than twenty minutes later that I see, out the corner of my eye, Matsuda running and slamming through the door with a shocked face.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Aizawa demands bitterly.

"It's! It's...! Him!" Matsuda says with a deep breath. "I saw him! I wanted to... I saw him!"

"Who?" Aizawa says. "Matsuda, stop being an idiot and tell us what happened."

"Light Yagami! Light! I swear! I saw him!" Matsuda doesn't seem shocked at this point, only furious. But could it actually be Light?

"Where did you see him?" I ask a bit hasty.

"Ge-ah! I don't know... I was walking to get some food or junk for you and then I saw a ghost... It was him! L-Light! I thought I was seeing things but then he looked up at me. I saw his shadow, and ran my ass off all the way over here!" Matsuda yells.

"That wasn't my question," I say, irritated. "Where did you see him?"

"Not very far," Matsuda says. I walk toward the doors, barefoot, and go out onto the sidewalk. I look to my right and see a figure walking towards the building. I squint to get a clearer view. Could it be Light?

"Ryuzaki!" Matsuda runs to me. "Get back inside!" I ignore him and walk to the figure, over the melting snow. The sunlight cracks through the buildings as it rises slowly.

And there he is.

The young man I had for a friend was standing a few yards away, waiting to hunt me down.

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_(Beta Reader for this chapter: Dlvvanzor)_

_____(Author of this chapter: Mushi-Mushi-Mushu)_


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter VIII**

_Light's POV_

**Perfect Lie**

I see him where he stands in the entrance of the building and my only thought is, _'I wish he wasn't glaring at me like that.'_ Did he really think I wanted to kill him? How could I want to kill him? Didn't he see, from Heaven, how much of a wreck I was once he died the first time around?

Also, when did I become so lovesick and pathetic?

I take a step closer to him and he crouches down in the beginnings of a Capoeira stance. Yes, he really does think I want to kill him, apparently.

The rest of the investigation team that I remember so well suddenly appears around the corner, looking over L's shoulder, terrified. I see Mogi go for his gun and I hold up both my hands. Peace.

"I'm not going to hurt him. _Any_ of you," I say calmly.

L doesn't believe me for even a second. I can see it in his eyes as he continues to glare at me. He could kill small animals with that glare. ...Actually, he probably _has_killed small animals with that glare.

Matsuda finally explodes, "What's going _on_ here! Why have both of you come back from the dead? Are we going to have to go through the whole Kira battle all over again, Light?"

"It's not me, this time," I say quietly.

"Then... do you know who it is?" Aizawa asks carefully.

"No. I wish I did. I need to find him."

"Why, so you can take and use his Notebook?" Matsuda accuses me. I can understand his anger. He was the only one who trusted me the whole time I was alive, the first time around. He was the only one who never doubted me, so really he's the one I betrayed most of all.

Or maybe L is, since I _killed_ him. Anyway.

"No," I lie firmly. "I don't want the Death Note." It was obvious that no one believed me. "I was hoping... that I could join you... in trying to find the new Kira."

"Just like the last time," L grumbles, not looking at me.

"No," I whisper, taking a step closer to him but forcing myself not to reach out and touch him. "This time, I won't hurt anyone. I just need to find it and get it away from him. I've been in _Hell_, Ryuuzaki. This is the only way for me to redeem myself."

It's a good lie, and I can see that L wants to believe it. But will he?

_

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(Author of this chapter: Dlvvanzor)_


	9. Chapter 9

**Crimson Justice**

by Mushi and Dlvvanzor

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**Disclaimer**: We don't own Death Note.

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**Chapter IX**

_L's POV_

**Welcome**

He looks at me. All I can do is glare. Am I sure he doesn't have a Death Note? It doesn't appear so. Light doesn't appear to look very threatening at the time being... I hate to think that he may have had a hard time in Hell, but to me, he deserved it.

"Just like last time," I mutter.

"No," Light whispers. By his body language, he seems to be a tad uncomfortable. "This time, I won't hurt anyone. I just need to find it and get it away from him. I've been in _Hell_, Ryuuzaki. This is the only way for me to redeem myself."

Redeem himself? If he really wants to redeem himself by catching Kira, there would be no problem if he joins us and, really, it could make catching this Kira a lot easier... if he didn't know he was Kira. Although, the fact that he knows he was Kira means he probably only wants the Notebook from the new Kira.

I chuckle, recalling so many things.

I suppose it wouldn't be too bad to let Light join. It may actually be... entertaining to relive some memories spent in the Kira investigation, thirteen years ago. I almost forgot it was that long.

But, of course, I can't fully put my trust in Light at this moment. He lied through his teeth just moments ago. I would like to believe him, but the circumstance makes it hard to even think straight. He seems honest, but I can't really believe it.

If I were Matsuda, I would automatically say 'Yes! You can definitely join this investigation!' without a moment's hesitation. Now, Matsuda resents Light for all he has done. Light didn't seem to care, after all he was Kira.

No matter. Light isn't Kira now as far as I know. I make myself comfortable and blink.

I place a thumb on my lips and turn around. "Light," I smirk. "As long as you don't kill me or them, I believe it's safe to say... welcome."

I walk away with my hands in my pocket. I look at Matsuda and he appears to be sick to his stomach.

"You're just going to have to deal with it at the time being, Mr. Matsuda," I say casually. Matsuda stays silent. Mogi and Aizawa straighten up and blink in sudden confusion.

I look back at Light. "Aren't you coming Light?"

"Uh, yeah," he responds.

"Good," I say, and walk towards the building.

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_(Beta Reader for this chapter: Dlvvanzor)_

_____(Author of this chapter: Mushi-Mushi-Mushu)_


	10. Chapter 10

**Crimson Justice**

by Mushi and Dlvvanzor

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**

**Disclaimer**: We don't own Death Note.

**

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**Chapter X**

_Light's POV_

**Disclosure**

As of today, I have been working on the Kira investigation (version 4.0) for one week, and besides a crapload of statistical data, we're no closer to finding the new Kira than we were the first time around when I didn't have my memories and was working with L.

Or so I would have L to believe.

In reality, I've already figured a few things out about this new Kira. He is male. He is between thirty and forty-five years old.

And he's in New York, New York.

By telling L that Kira is definitely in New York and showing him the proof, I got him to relocate the entire investigation. After all, I need to get my hands on this guy before the rest of the team, so that I can get the Notebook back and fix this world all over again.

Content, I sit at my laptop and idly pretend to search for Kira information.

What I'm really doing? Searching for famous touristy date locations in downtown New York, because the tourist traps are probably the only place in the world that L has not yet been.

And, besides getting the Notebook, I still have to make him fall madly in love with me so that he'll join me, which doesn't have a snowball's chance in Hell (no pun intended) of happening, but is worth a shot. I mean, what am I supposed to say to him? "Ryuuzaki, darling, rule the world with me, and then retire to Hell and be a demon with me" No.

But, like I once told Ryuk, I'm an optimist.

I minimize the page as L comes into the room, staring intently at whatever screen is up and pretending to have been working this whole time.

...Crap, it's a porn popup.

I turn red and exit out of it as quickly as I can, but L has already seen me 'studying' it and he breezes by me with a very, very slight smile.

"It's not what it looks like-" I start, but Ryuuzaki just looks at me innocently.

"You mean to tell me that you were _not_ just closely examining a popup of a very short loop of explicit pornography?"

I stare at him for a moment. Something about the word 'pornography' coming out of his mouth is just...

Well. You know.

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_(Author of this chapter: Dlvvanzor)_


	11. Chapter 11

**Crimson Justice**

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Discontinued...

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_(Until further notice)_


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